


waking up at the start of the end of the world

by spacedbabaylan



Series: Let's see How Far We've Come [2]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Found Family, Gen, Mostly Comedy, Nikolai is a darkhorse and I am so glad you guys love him, Shenanigans, There will be Geese, de-age fic, de-aged Assassins and Templars, home alone esque traps because it's a toddler making them, let's torture Vedic party
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:08:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26069977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacedbabaylan/pseuds/spacedbabaylan
Summary: Continuation of "How Far We've Come"Snippets/shorts of the kids being kids and growing up with Desmond and co. as nefarious forces begin to gather outside their little circle.I. Nikolai Shenanigans- three snippets of the cutie since you all REALLY like him, and one lore thing.
Series: Let's see How Far We've Come [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1892572
Comments: 7
Kudos: 40





	waking up at the start of the end of the world

_**1.** _

Nikolai was a very quiet child but he was fiercely protective of his new family in their Farm and of Daniel. As such, Daniel mostly spoiled him and let him get away with a lot of things. Well, almost a lot of things.    
  
Today it just finished raining and the toddler is kitted up in a yellow duck raincoat and yellow booties. It would have been a heartwarming image if the toddler wasn’t doing what he is doing. 

  
The toddler rolled a pumpkin too heavy for him up on a ramp and rolled it in place next to the pumpkins he had lined up on a stage. 

He then turned to his audience and then began, to their mounting dread, pushed a barrel to begin a Rube Goldberg trap that ended with one pumpkin being smashed by an anvil, one pumpkin being sliced in half, one pumpkin dropping down from a trapdoor and being impaled on spikes, and the last pumpkin being punted by an actual log across the yard.    
  
With a straight face, the toddler raised his hands in a “tah-daaah” motion. No response. He wiggled his hands in a “jazz hands” motion.   
  
All the adult’s mouths were opened in horror. Melanie had covered the eyes of Max and Yusuf who had wandered into the general area. Lucy picked up a whimpering Henry and soothed him. The other adults all gave Daniel a  _ look _ they usually gave him that said; “Please deal with your child, _ now _ ”   
  
Daniel sighed and said; “Okay, Deda. Thank you. We‘re gonna just...have to tone all those down to non- _ lethal _ , but otherwise, it’s perfect”. Nikolai gave Daniel a dejected look but accepted it.

Shaun and Violet face-palmed. 

* * *

  
  
  


_**II.** _

“WHAT IS THAT HELLSPAWN DOING HERE!?!,” screamed Vidic, pointing at Nikolai who was nonchalantly eating a fruit popsicle made by Lucy. The toddler is sitting in a place of honor next to Daniel, which so happened to be Vidic’s own seat.    
  
Leticia, holding one of her many great-great-grandparents, cocked an eyebrow. Isabelle, as usual, made no comment but her mouth twitched. Alvario Gramatica tilted his head to an unnerving angle, and the newest additions to the Inner Sanctum, Berg and Melanie, both looked down to cover their amusement.    
  
Daniel pinched his nose to stave off the incoming headache that will be Warren Vidic in hysterics, “It’s been hectic lately and no one can look after Deda, so he’s here with me”   
  
Vidic looked black and blue holding his breath in rage. Nikolai chose that moment to give a loud slurp and Vidic snapped;    
  
“I WANT HIM GONE” (Because, to his despair, The Inner Sanctum will not allow him to kill this brat)   
  
“He’s a well-behaved child,” answered Daniel curtly. Melanie coughed out her water, Leticia almost dropped Pearl, and the only sign that Berg and Isabelle were appalled at that statement was with the slight widening of their eyes.    
  
Vidic’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, “BULLSHIT”

Daniel ignored him and looked at the other Inner Sanctum members angrily. Deda is a good child and he will not tolerate their disrespect of his great-grandfather. Never mind if he’s a little bit like that child in  _ Home Alone. _

Before Vidic could scream out more of his frustrations, Nikolai turned to Daniel and patted his arm. Daniel instantly turned to the toddler and smiled at him. “Do you want something, Deda?”    
  
Nikolai mumbled a string of parse Russian. Daniel nodded and stood to carry the boy. “Bathroom break for us. Excuse me”. Daniel strode past Vidic without a word.   
  
Vidic seethed, reclaimed his chair, and sat down.    
  
The minute he did, there was a loud  **squelch.** Vidic stood up in horror as the other Inner Sanctum members stopped themselves from laughing.    
  
Nikolai left his very red, cloth staining fruit popsicle on the chair.   
  


A frustrated scream was heard and Daniel sighed, “Deda, you promised”   
  
Nikolai looked back at his great-grandson and tilted his head innocently. 

* * *

  
  


_**III.** _   
  
The kids all have gathered around their latest  _ prey  _ and just as Shaun had feared, it was little Nikolai who was poking the poor sods to their doom inching them off the plank overhanging a pit.    
  
The Golden Era children were jumping up and down chanting: “ _ Death! Death! Death! _ ”

Their latest caught trespasser tied to an exasperated other one cried “What kind of Home Alone BULLSHIT is this!?”    
  
Rebecca did everything in her power not to show she was laughing. Lucy, on the other hand, looked like she would burst out scolding the children but she did not know where to start. Melanie had hidden her face in her hands because of course, it was  _ her  _ batch of children that was starting the commotion.    
  
Madeleine, the little drama llama, walked up to the trespassers innocently and said; “Fellow Templar and Assassin, you have trespassed neutral ground in an attempt to cause discord and for that crime, we sentence you a punishment worse than death! Do you have any last words?”   
  
One of the trespassers craned their neck to the pit below, looked at Madeleine with a cocked brow, and then looked down.    
  
“And what is worse than death, Master De L’Isle? Coz the thing down there is seriously  _ nasty _ and we were NOT paid enough for this shit”    
  
Madeleine smiled. “A bath. A very long, not fun bath. One with vinegar and a lot of tomatoes to get rid of the smell”    
  
The majority of the kids shuddered. Shaun gave all the other adults a  _ look.  _ Oh, great.    
  
“Do your worst, Templar scum!”. The Templar of the pair looked alarmed and said, “Wait, hold on! We should talk about this! We were sent to retrieve the Grail, and spy on you guys, nothing more! No harm done!”   
  
“And you took those orders without thinking. You did not realize who gave them and for the sin of blissful ignorance, you deserve the pit!” Madeleine nodded to Nikolai and the little boy kicked the support holding up the plank and the two trespassers plunged into the kid’s homemade trap, screaming in terror then a disgusting PLOP sounded followed by “OmFUcking _ God _ its in my mouth **_F U ck_ ** !” and a horrified wail.   
  
Madeleine looked over the pit and cheerfully said, “An hour in the poo pit, and then our parents will come and get you out. Maybe next time you’ll all think before underestimating us and leave us alone”    
  
Shaun sighed; and of course, it was them who would clean up their kid’s messes and rescue the thieves from the kid’s clutches, no matter how much they deserve the shit pit. Because it was the right, and grown-up thing to do… maybe after thirty minutes.   
  


* * *

**_IV._ **   
  
Galina and Daniel glared at each other, but did nothing more than that.    
  
Maybe because Clay is holding unto Daniel’s arm just as a young woman was holding on to Galina’s. She smiled sheepishly at Daniel and Clay.   
  
“So...um. Apparently there is a truce, right?,” the woman said as Galina muttered something dangerous in Russian. “I’m new to all of this and figured a lot of it out through the Helix. I’m Charlotte de la Cruz”    
  
Clay gave her a nod. He followed her gaze towards the children. Nikolai was glaring at a boy as old as him and the boy glared back. The other boy was being held back by a number of children while Nikolai had….well, no one holding him back which was a  _ bad _ idea all things considered.    
  
Charlotte cleared her throat. “So, um...I heard this is the place where I can get help with my...um… ancestors…” She gestured to some of the children holding back the other boy.    
  
Clay tilted his head, “Yeah. A  _ neutral _ Farm where the kids can grow. I don’t think Voronina told you but we try, as much as possible, to give these kids a second chance in life without mentioning alliances”

Galina snarled. “Have you been seduced into siding with the Templars as well, Kaczmarek!? After everything they have done to you?” She glared at Daniel like he was the culprit.    
  
Clay snorted, “No. But I don’t think I’ll be rejoining the Assassins anytime soon. What with there being a reshuffling at the top and mismanagement”. He pointedly looked down at his wheelchair. Galina grit her teeth but said nothing to counter that.    
  
Charlotte clapped her hands nervously. “Um...so. I’d like to introduce my kids… And Galina’s as well”. To their surprise, she whistled and the new children all took one look at her, then scrambled over each other to line up in front of the adults.    
  
Clay, Daniel, and Galina, all looked at Charlotte with new eyes. She scratched her head, “Ah...it’s um… something I learned when my family wanted to call the kids quickly. Anyway, mijos, mijas! Introduce yourselves from eldest to youngest, por favor!”   
  
Galina blinked as a girl, carrying a baby, squeezed herself in line and smiled back at Galina, as if to say, “Look at me, I’m doing it!”. Galina just shook her head and chuckled.    


Two 10-year old boys who looked almost like twins but not quite stepped forward. “I’m Hiram Stoddard!” cheered one jovially. The second boy grunted, “Tom Stoddard. Hiram’s descendant and Charlotte’s ancestor”. 

Daniel blinked. “Surely not,  _ the _ Tom Stoddard, Master Assassin, and Relic hunter?”    
  
Tom grunted and Charlotte coughed, “I’m sorry, Tomas is  _ WHAT?”.  _ Clay snickered and leaned back on his wheelchair.    
  
A nine-year-old girl with the baby gave an old-fashioned curtsy (Galina groaning out an embarrassed “Mama!”) and said, “I’m Medeya Voronina and this is Galina’s twin sister Avdotya”.    
  
Clay tilted his head, “What happened? Why are you both kids again?”. Galina looked away when Medeya smiled and said, “We were losing our minds to the Animus, so we had to be put down. On the day of our execution, however, we turned into...well this! Now our heads are clearer but we are quite confused as to why”   
  
Daniel winced in sympathy. “Clay and I both understand losing yourself to the Animus”. He looked at Clay but Clay was lost in thought.   
  


Avdotya gurgled and everyone turned their attention to her. Galina reached out to Medeya and Medeya deposited her daughter in Galina’s arms.

The next girls were probably 7-8. One of the girls suddenly rushed to Clay and Daniel. The two adults jolt, and leaned away. “Quila!” scolded Charlotte. “Don’t surprise people by doing that”. The girl shrugged and rushed back toward the other girl. “I’m sorry, she’s very quick”. The next girl rubbed her nose and said shyly. “Bonjour. I’m Elsie”. There was a silence after her statement.   
  


Charlotte looked left and right, “Where’s Sergei?”

  
There was a whine and the adults looked to the side to see Sergei and Nikolai pulling each other’s hair.   
  
“DEDA!” Both Galina and Daniel exclaimed. They rushed towards their wards and pulled the boys away from each other.    
  
Daniel hissed, “Keep your pest of a grandfather away from mine”   
  
Galina growled back, “Tell your great-grandfather that he won’t get to murder mine again”   
  
“Your Grandfather kidnapped mine! A LITERAL CHILD. He’s a monster!” cried Daniel.    
  
Galina stood up and put Sergei behind her. “You want to talk about monsters, traitor? Look in the mirror and talk to all of the assassins you massacred”   
  
Before Galina and Daniel can come to blows, there was a huffing noise and the two adults looked down to see Sergei and Nikolai trying to reach each other but not quite so they’re just slapping each other’s arms.   
  
Charlotte sighed. “Galina. We came here to ask for help. Please”   
  
“Daniel come back here...please” Clay patiently said. Daniel carried a squirming Nikolai away from Sergei. “Need help in what, Miss De la Cruz?”   
  
Charlotte was counting the kids and frowned, “Hold that thought, where’s Ignacio?”. She then narrowed her eyes at her kids and noticed Tom looking away guiltily. “Tomas. Hiram. Where’s Ignacio?”   
  
The two boys gawked at her, at each other, and became defensive, “It’s Hiram’s turn to look after him!” “Tommy lost him!”   
  
Charlotte stood up, visibly trying to not get mad, then rushed to an open door. She then sighed in relief as she saw a toddler, about three years of age, chasing a butterfly outside. “Ignacio! Hijo! Come here, I was worried about you”   
  
Ignacio blinked when he heard Charlotte. He smiled when he spotted his descendant and ran towards her. The two hugged, with Ignacio giggling and putting a flower over Charlotte’s ear and Charlotte laughed while kissing his little cheeks. “Gracias, mijo!”   
  
Tom muttered something suspiciously sounding like “Suck up” and Hiram snickered. Medeya, for the first time, dropped her pleasant disposition and glared at the two older boys. Quila and Sergei rolled their eyes. Elsie scuffed her foot upset.    
  
Clay and Daniel looked at each other, a bit worried about the children’s dynamic with each other.    
  
Charlotte carried Ignacio inside. “This is the last of my ancestors. His name is Ignacio Cordona and we came here because he has a request”. She looked at her kids and sighed. “And honestly? I need help with them. I’m 20 and I’m drowning in debt. I can’t take care of one kid, let alone five on my own. Plus they have no idea how the modern world works. But I don’t think I have it in me to leave them all on their own and I don’t want to---”   
  
Clay held a hand up to stop Charlotte from rambling. He looked kindly at the very stressed young lady.    
  
“You know of the truce that the Templars and Assassins have with Desmond Miles. The children that come here are safe and would be protected regardless of their alliance. If they want, they can choose a new life for themselves”   
  
Charlotte sagged down on the floor with Ignacio in her arms, “Oh thank God...the horrible dreams I had...They get to be safe with you now”. Ignacio squeaked and patted her back. Her other kids looked on in hesitation.    
  
Daniel coughed. “You…ah. You said Ignacio had a request?”   
  
The toddler gave them a grin and squeaked out, “ _ ¿Dónde está Albert? _ ”.   
  
Clay tapped his cheek, “Albert?”. Ignacio nodded enthusiastically. Clay shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. But we can look for him? What’s his full name?”   
  
Ignacio scrunched his nose and said, “Albie...Albert Bolden?”. 

“Nope. No one here is with that name, but we can look for him,” Clay offered kindly to Ignacio when he sees the toddler’s crestfallen face.    
  
The toddler looked hopeful at that. Galina touched Charlotte’s shoulder, “Are you sure? Are you ready to just, drop everything, and move all the way here?”    
  
Charlotte nodded her head, “Yeah, I mean, these guys appeared, and then I find out about this? I think it’s right”   
  
Galina fell silent. She looked down at her sulking grandfather, then at her mother and sister. “ I do not wish my family near any of the Templars”   
  
Clay nodded, “There’s a few houses away from the main farmhouses. The two of you can make a home there and the kids can still hang out with ours. And don’t think about expenses or your debt, Miss Charlotte. We,” he smirked at Daniel, “or the Templars would pay for it. And don’t worry Miss Voronina, there are no strings attached, think of your family”.    
  
Galina grumbled, foiled.    
  
Charlotte gave out a sigh of relief.    
  
“Ladies, welcome to the family”


End file.
